Sanctum is a cafe with anomalous properties that exists in a pocket dimension. It serves as a hub for interdimensional travelers who either find it by mistake or regularly visit. The place offers free beverages and snacks to any and all guests, assuming they don’t cause too much trouble.
Cafe Interior
The interior design holds mostly modern aesthetics. A main counter can be found across from the front entrance, which serves beverages, cocktails, and snacks from many other realms for free. On the same backwall the counter is on, there are bathrooms, storage areas, kitchen, and an office that remains locked, presumably by McGovern himself. (The Creator) A few Skylights are present. There’s a second floor accessible via stairs and/or elevator.
Said cafe offers a few different forms of seating, primarily booths and four-person tables in most places, with wooden seats, in addition to a few cushioned chairs with coffee tables present. Each exterior wall is lined with large glass windows to gaze outside and allow natural light to pour in.
On the second floor is a wall of high bookcases in a corner, with multiple tables present for someone to read and browse. Many different types of books can be found here, some occasionally disappearing or appearing if left unchecked.
Entry:
It’s accessible across the multiverse in a number of different ways, including but not limited to interdimensional rifts/portals people can find by accident, others discover a wormhole in space or a random door that leads to it. Simply step in or fly through and bam, you’re in! To leave, there’s a dedicated portal room below the first floor of the cafe and an archway outside on the outer perimeter. Go out the way you came in.
The Cafe building sits right behind a low cliff edge overlooking an ocean. Surrounding it on land is a forest of trees. Should any being attempt to walk in a straight line through those woodlands, they’ll end up back on the outer perimeter of the property. Attempting to swim away in the water will also have the same effect. A certain bum of a sea drake actually tried this. On the building’s backside, there’s a single railroad track that lines up with a large cargo door, this same track leads to a rail tunnel that can’t be entered by other beings due to an invisible wall.
Long ago, it’s believed that a deity who goes by the nickname McGovern was responsible for creating Sanctum. This mystery being has been observed visiting the place on rare occasions, likely to check up on things. Very little is known about him, other than he being very well-reserved and often stoic. Some Reachers have theorized the cafe to be some sort of experiment. Interestingly, when a new staff member is hired by the cafe, they will personally be approached by the boss man himself.
The Restocking Process:
Outside the building, there is a small rail line that extends from a pitch-black tunnel protruding from the forest, with a large cargo door on the wall facing said track. A very short freight train carrying only a single boxcar will arrive and leave said railcar behind, which contains all the fresh supplies to replenish the cafe before disappearing back in the tunnel.
The tunnel itself is blocked off by an invisible barrier, and can only be entered by the train that restocks Sanctum, along with the crew running said vehicle. Video game logic!
NPC list:
Candy - Server
Origins: Candii has lived in New York her whole life, only leaving on rare occasions to vacation. She grew up in a foster home. During her stay, the workers treated her well. (Not like those poor orphans you see in the movies.) Money was tight for the small foster care. This led to the abrupt eviction when Candii hit the ripe age of eighteen.
Past: Candii had enough money in her pocket for two weeks worth of hotel fare. Her stomach was empty and the business that was supposed to help her find a job was taking far longer than she'd wanted. This is when Candice was approached by another female. The woman saw Candii down and out but quickly gave her some advice. "Become a stripper. That's what I did." It wasn't long before the idea stuck with Candice. Only a few days later, Candii found herself at her female friend's place of employment. She worked at the unnamed strip club for close to five years before another job caught her interest. Sanctum Cafe. Candii had always had a fascination with the supernatural and what could be out there. Her nights were filled with fantasy novels, ghost movies, and occasional internet chat rooms dealing with supernatural information. Sanctum Cafe was part of this research. Before long, Candice got the job! It was an exciting day for the young stripper. From poles to serving fresh coffee she'd go.
Currently: Now at the young age of twenty-five, Candii has a small sliver of happiness in her life and her job. Her research hadn't led her astray. The whole Cafe ended up being a magical place. A hub of sorts for the supernatural and humans that dabbled in their affairs. The Cafe was even equipt with several backrooms of portals for traveling. Candice has only recently entered one for work commute. Now in her years of working for Sanctum, she's become aware and educated of many supernaturals. She's become an informant of sorts in the New York branch of Sanctum with regulars coming in to get the latest scoop. Ask her anything about the Supernatural, Creatures that go bump in the night, or the underground and Candice will probably have an answer.
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Wessley - Bartender
When the mage was down on his luck and in search of opportunities, the Sanctum Cafe was a job opening that offered far more than he bargained for.
Past: Wessley comes from a home dimension far off within Sanctum Cafe's reach. While similar to the ‘human’ world in daily structure, the bartender’s home city is a major technological capital that varies greatly from those on Earth. The mage’s home is at the center of an ongoing war against magic users for those who distrust their abilities and find them to be an act against the ‘natural way of life’ and a threat to the technological system that has been long built in his world. This feud has led to a system of persecution against natural-born magic users and their kin. Many choose to hide their abilities in order to blend into society, while others go about their days under cover when the chance is given. Long before he made a part-time opportunity out of pouring drinks, Wessley worked as an informant for the resistance, funneling important information to the Council that governs the remaining magic-using population.
Currently: Wes' current status is laying low and avoiding capture as the situation at home grows worse. Work doesn’t come easy to a fugitive of the law — so who was he to question a job offer he didn’t remember applying for? The bartender can currently be found at the counter pouring drinks, welcoming in new faces, and chatting curiously with all walks of life that come through the doors.
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Hank - The Conductor
Sanctum Cafe is restocked by a short freight train that arrives when supplies are low. Hank is one out of the two in the crew that operates it. He’s a young, brunette man in his mid-twenties without any known anomalous or magical properties. Being an extrovert, he’s always more than happy to chat with any patrons that attempt to strike up a conversation with him outside while he’s making his delivery before leaving.
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Vince - The Engineer
The one responsible for operating/driving the train is Vince, a mostly sociable, older male that has decades worth of experience under his belt, and a big sense of humor. Due to his presence being required inside the locomotive, he rarely gets out of the train. Hank has been seen walking into Sanctum to get a coffee and bring it back to Vince until they’re ready to depart. (After dropping off their cargo)
